Get Ahead of the Games: Travel Advice for Business

Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is the greatest logistical challenge a nation can undertake in peacetime. Transport for London and the Olympic Delivery Authority had two key objectives for the London 2012 Games.

First, get all athletes, officials and spectators to their events on time. Second, keep London and the UK open for business. With 12.5 million ticketed spectators and 25,000 athletes and officials travelling to the Games, transport networks faced an unprecedented challenge.

The PR team knew effective b2b engagement was at the heart of the campaign, engaging with businesses operating or delivering in key hotspot areas during the Games. It focused its comms on decision-makers (CEOs, HR departments) and employees who commuted to work to encourage them to work from home or take different routes.

Tone of message was vital to avoid polluting the wider theme that London was ready to host a great Games.

Key activities included former Olympians Sally Gunnell (running) and Chris Boardman (cycling) racing each other from Liverpool Street station to the Olympic Park to highlight alternatives to public transport during the Games.

As a result of the campaign, 35 per cent of people changed their behaviour during the Games and traffic in central London was reduced by 15 per cent. The campaign was so successful it will be replicated at the Rio 2016 Games.

"A highly creative campaign, sustained over a long period with tangible results. London changed its travel plans"